The governor on Wednesday spoke during the annual breakfast of the Colusa Farm Show, one of the biggest such events on the West Coast.

He acknowledged that many people in the region north of the state capital have a different political philosophy than he does, noting that he has never won Colusa County in any of his statewide races. Yet he told hundreds of attendees that he would promise to protect their water.

After his speech, several farmers said they were wary of the tunnel project, fearing it would siphon more Northern California water to farms and cities to the south.